Portable bridge



July 24, 1923.

' R. D. GALLAGHER PORTABLE BRIDGE Filed April 13, 1923 INVE/I/ TOR 4 TTOR/VE VS Patented July 24:, N323.

pair star RICHARD D. GALLAGHER, OF BAY ST. LOUIS, IHIISSISSIPPI.

ron'rannn Barns-n.

Application filed April 13, 1922. Serial at. 631,895.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, RICHARD Dorrnnrv GALLAGHER, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Bay St. Louis, in the county of Hancock and State of Mississippi, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Portable Bridges, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to portable bridges especially adapted for use in emergencies.

Briefly stated an important object of this invention is to provide a portable bridge which may be conveniently attached to the upper or lower side of a running board of a vehicle and readily set up for use when necessary.

Further an important object is to provide an emergency collapsible bridge having collapsible sides which when swung to their operative or upright positions will effectively brace the bottom or tread portion of the bridge.

Further the invention forming the subject matter of this application aims to provide a portable bridge which is light,of highly simplified construction and cheap to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this application and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Figure 1 is a perspective of the improved emergency bridge in use,

Figure 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view through the bridge open,

Figure 3 is a fragmentary perspective illustrating the means to rigidly connect the sides of the bridge to the bottom.

In the drawing wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention the numeral 5 designates a floor or bottom wall which may be corrugated transversely for strengthening purposes. As illustrated in Figure 3 the longitudinal edges of the bottom wall 5 are formed with aligned hinge barrels 6 with which the hinge barrels 7 of side walls 8 are aligned for the reception of hinge pins 10. The bottom wall 5 and the side walls 8 may be of any dimensions and when the pins 10 are extended through the aligned hinge barrels 6 and 7 the side walls are hingedly connected to the bottom wall. This permits the side walls to be arranged in approximately upright positions as illustrated or swung inwardly into contact with the bottom wall 5. The outward swinging movement of the side walls 8 is limted by curved lips 1% along the lower longitudinal edges of the side walls and the said lips 14: which surround the spaced beads 18 flatly contact with the bottom of the wall 5 and thereby limit the outward swinging movement of the walls.

Furthermore the curved lips 1 1 must necessarily be sprung over the depending reinforcing beads 18 to swing the side walls to their operative positions and consequently the lips 14 and the beaded portions 18 cooperate to securely though detachably hold the side walls in their upright positions.

Attention is directed to the fact that the side walls act in a measure as a strengthening and bracing means for the bottom wall 5 as the strain on the bottom wall when in use is transmitted to the side walls.

In use the improved collapsible bridge which is made in two sections forms a convenient means whereby a vehicle may cross a small stream. ditch or bad place in the road and after the ditch or the like has been crossed the bridge may be conveniently collapsed and bolted to the running board of the vehicle. In this connection it will be seen that the bottom wall is provided with openings 20 for the reception of bolts by means of which the bridge is connected to the vehicle.

In summarizing it will be seen that one of the principal advantages of the invention resides in the fact that the side walls 8 constitute an effective means for bracing the transversely corrugated bottom wall 5 during the passage of a vehicle over the same. lvfore specifically the inwardly curved portions or lips 14 bear against the bottom wall as illustrated in Figure 3 so that the strain on the bottom wall is transmitted, to the side walls. As the side walls are approximately on edge. the same are not readily bent.

The foregoing advantage allows the portable bridge to be manufactured of comparatively light metal so that the same may be carried in or on a vehicle.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is An emergency collapsible bridge comprising a. metallic bottom wall having its longitudinal edges formed. with spaced hinge barrels, side walls provided with spaced hinge Elm) barrels arranged between and in alignment with the first named hinge barrels, and hinge pins extending through said hinge barrels for hingedly connecting the side walls to the bottom wall, said side walls being provided with a plurality of inwardly curved lips adapted to flatly contact with the under side of the bottom wall to limit the outward swinging movement of the side walls and to effectively brace the bottom Walls, the longitudinal edges of the bottom Wall being formed with depending reinforcing beaded portions surrounded by said curved lips, said curved lips being of spring metal and adapted to closely embrace'said depending beaded portions whereby to hold the side walls in an upright position.

RICHARD D. GALLAGHER. 

